Carpet and like fabric sample carrier

ABSTRACT

THE PRESENT INVENTION RELATES GENERALLY TO A METHOD OF PREPARING CARPET SAMPLE CARRIERS AND LIKE FABRIC SAMPLE UNITS AND TO IMPROVED SAMPLE PRODUCTS DERIVED FROM SUCH METHOD. THE INVENTION MORE SPECIFICALLY HAS REFERENCE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CARPET SAMPLE CARRIER OR UNIT, WHICH MAY COMPRISE PRACTICALLY A RELATIVELY LARGE SAMPLE AREA, BUT WHICH CAN BE CONVENIENTLY MANIPULATED FOR OBTAINING THEREFROM THROUGH SEVERANCE SMALL SWATCH PIECES OR PORTIONS OF PREDETERMINED DIMENSIONS, SIZES, CONFIGURATIONS AND IDENTIFICATION AS TO QUALITY, COLOR, PRODUCTION NUMBER, ETC. TO THIS END THE CARPET SAMPLE CARRIER IS ADVANTAGEOUSLY PROVIDED WITH PRECUT OR SCORED MARKS OR INCISIONS WHICH ARE VIRTUALLY HIDDEN FROM VIEW, DO NOT IN ANY WAY DISTRUB THE OUTER APPEARANCE, PERCEPTION AND IMPRESSION OF A SAMPLE PIECE OF CARPET AND THE LIKE, BUT CAN BE READILY DIVIDED AND SEPARATED INTO PIECES OR PORTIONS OF SWATCHES EACH BEARING DESIRABLE IDENTIFICATIONS, MARKINGS AND THE LIKE FOR ANY PRACTICAL PURPOSES.

0 United States Patent 1 1 1111 3,762,985 Chaitman Oct. 2, 1973 [54] CARPET AND LIKE FABRIC SAMPLE 2,679,078 5/1954 Clark 161/113 X CARRIER 3,547,752 12/1970 Janssen 161/117 X [75 Inventor: Jack L. Chaitman, Montreal, 'f' Exami' le"Rbert Bufnelt Canada Assistant Egcgmmen-Joseph C. G11 Attorney-Nicholas L. Coch and Stuart A. White [73] Assignee: Howard Displays, Inc., New York,

57 ABSTRACT [22] Flled: May 1970 The present invention relates generally to a method of [21] A l, N 36,256 preparing carpet sample carriers and like fabric sample units and to improved sample products derived from h d. 52 us. (:1. 161/67, 35/55, 40/1, Sue math" [51] Int. Cl. B6511 79/00, 865d 81/36 [58] Field of Search 161/67, 112, 116, 161/38, 113, 114,- 1 17,. 88; 206/77, 81, 82, 44.11, 44.12, 56 AB; 156/265, 559-562, 268; 35/49, 55, 56; 40/1 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 469,733 3/1892 Brewer 206/82 1,564,152 12/1925 Thomson.... 206/82 1,878,813 9/1932 Block et al.. 206/82 2,707,839 5/1955 Green 206/82 3,313,408 4/1967 Endrizzi.. 206/82 3,514,875 6/1970 Howard 206/82 1,801,401 4/1931 Taber 161/117 X cfi j The invention more specifically has reference to the construction of a carpet sample carrier or unit, which may comprise practically a relatively large sample area,

but which can be conveniently manipulated for obtaining therefrom through severance small swatch pieces or portions of predetermined dimensions, sizes, configurations and identification as to quality, color, production number, etc. To this end the carpet sample carrier is advantageously provided with precut or scored marks or incisions which are virtually hidden from view, do not in any way disturb the outer appearance, perception and impression of a sample piece of carpet and the like, but can be readily divided and separated into pieces or portions of swatches each bearing desirable identifications, markings and the like for any practical purposes.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures CARPET AND LIKE FABRIC SAMPLE CARRIER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the carpet industry and in fabric manufacturing plants it was heretofore usual to furnish the retail trade, distributors, decorators and customers with samples and swatches to enable the retailer to make a proper product presentation to the consumer. Such samples may vary in the carpet industry from 27 X 54 to 12 X 12 inches, while swatches or pieces thereof are hardly larger than 4 X 6, 3 X inches and the like. The carpet swatches show mostly identification labels or like markings as to different weaves, colors, underlays, production number, etc., which are required for orders by the consumer after his examination, comparison tests and approval. The carpet swatches, however, when se lected from a collection of generally equally sized swatches of carpet and like flat articles, were heretofore cut to create one or more mini-swatches constituting pieces or portions of several swatches for the purchaser or consumer. Such handling of swatches brings about the effect that the remainders of the cut swatches become unsightly and may even in some cases cause detraction on the part of the consumer. Besides these disadvantages the swatches are often cut at random and the cut portions cannot properly identify any more the carpet and like product and lead to waste by being discarded.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention contemplates to overcome the aforesaid and other disadvantages and leads to a greatly simplified handling, in particular of swatch pieces of flat articles, e. g. carpet swatches. It is proposed pursuant to the invention to compose and prepare carpet sample pieces and the like, whose effective outermost or top surface appears to an observers eye completely and virtually uniform, artistically undisturbed and naturally decorative although the swatches from the carpet sample or samples had been preparatorily subjected to a pretreatment stage in the course of which said sample was evenly or unevenly subdivided, but nevertheless maintained its coherence and interlacement of threads of the weave pattern of the carpet and the like.

The resultant carpet and like fabric swatch portions are further made up according to the invention so that each portion bears substantially the complete marking or identification of the swatch itself from which the respective swatch portion was severed.

It is therefore one of the primary objects of the invention toprovide means facilitating a highly efficacious build-up of a relatively large carpet swatch area which admits of the severance of smaller swatch portions or pieces therefrom in a very simple, speedy and greatly economical manner, simultaneously overcoming a certain resistance thereto preliminarily offered by said swatch piece or pieces.

It is another important object of the present invention to provide means contributing to efficacious operational steps to which a relatively large surface area will be successively subjected in order to readily prepare the same for ensuing manipulations during demonstration and sales performance by an operator.

Yet a further object of the invention resides in the provision of means rendering the possibility of quasi instantaneously creating and obtaining relatively small predetermined swatches or sample pieces of carpet,

textile and like material from largeareas of the sample carrier without the application of any effort and practically without the use of any scissors or similar tools on the part of a demonstrating person or operator.

Still another object of the invention is to provide means resulting in presized swatches from a relatively large area of a material sample carrier, such as carpet sample carrier or card, said presized swatches being so structured that they may be separated singly or severally from said carrier for demonstration, comparison and other test purposes.

Accordingly, the invention consists in the features of novel methods of manufacturing, of construction, combination and arrangement of elements or parts, all as illustratively set forth in the following description and drawings, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, somewhat in perspective, of a carpet sample area carrier pursuant to the invention, one part being broken off and another part being taken apart at a corner portion.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2--2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 2a is a bottom plan view of the carrier of FIG. 2, slightly modified.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of a modified sample carrier with indicated incision configuration according to the invention.

FIG. 4 indicates a fragmentary and enlarged top plan view, partly in perspective, of the carrier of FIG. 3 in the course of separating one sample section from another section.

FIG. 5 is a view of two sample pieces shown in section and severed from each other in conformity with the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now more specifically to the drawings, there is disclosed in FIGS. 1 to 3 an embodiment 10 produced pursuant to the invention. Such product 10 consists principally of a backing layer 11, intermediate layer 12 of glue or other adhesive, on which is superimposed a suitable fibrous layer 13, e.g. of jute and like composite material, with which the threads of the top layer 14, e.g. carpet, textile or similar thread material is interconnected or interlaced for anchoring the top layer 14 thereon. The total area 15 of such substantially flat sample material may have practically any length and width, e.g. 20 X 30 inches.

After the aforesaid layers of substantially equal size and dimension are arranged in a power press in superimposed relation to each other, an extremely thin, press-operated slitting blade of desired. configuration is employed and forced to slit the carpet and jute layer 13 in spaced and straight lines across the length of the area 15, as indicated at 16, 16a, 16b, which slits terminate just short of the surface 1 1a of the backing stratum 11.

It is to be noted that this backing stratum 11 may be made of cardboard or a relatively thin paper may be employed, the outer surface of which may carry, e.g. printed matter 17, such as identification data, and is further provided with a plurality of weakening marks, such as score or perforation lines 18, 18a, etc., which, in this particular mode of execution coincide and are in alignment with the slits 16, 16a, etc. imparted to the top and fibrous layers 14, 13 and optionally to adhesive layer 12.

In some cases it appears to be suitable and expedient not to wait till the adhesive layer 12 is completely dry, so that at least some scattered and soft parts of the said layer during placement in the power press are permitted to ooze out and to somewhat seep into the fine slits of at least the cut layer 13, as indicated in FIG. 2 at 12a for a purpose later described.

Instead of applying straight slitted lines as demonstrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sample and like carpet product20 of FIGS. 3 and 4 shows spaced zig-zag slit formations 25 passing through the top surface 21 carrying threads 22, which intermingle and interlace thereat and are anchored on the fibrous jute layer 23 which is adhesively retained at 24 in position on a heavier cardboard backing layer 26. These slit formations 25 define therebetween sample carrier pieces 27, 28, 29, etc. and extend crosswise to the length of sample product 20.

It will be realized that in order to remove a section or piece, say 29, from the entire carpet sample card or area 20, all that has to be done is to break piece 29 in a manner as shown in FIG. 4 from the remainder of the sample card and to tear off such piece by means of the scored or perforated backing member 26. The scored or perforated configuration 30 on backing layer 26 may correspond to the zig-zag slit line formation 25.

This is, however, not absolutely necessary and, in some cases, it will suffice that the score mark configuration constitutes rather a straight line without completely penetrating the relatively heavy cardboard backing 26.

As a further embodiment of the invention there are illustrated in FIG. broken off sections 35, 36 of a sample unit 40, which is provided with straight edge slitted severance lines 37, 38 passing through the textile top surface formations 39, 41 as well as through the adhesive stratum 42, but stopping short of the backing layer 43, which consists of cardboard, but may be kept as thin as paper and the like.

This paper and like backing layer 43 may be so scored, perforated or otherwise weakened at 44 across the length of the sample product 40, that the weakened line 44 extends in this instance out-of-alignment with the slit or severance line 37, 38. After this line 44 is torn or broken, it will be realized that tearing along score line 44, sections 35, 36 will be finally separated at 44a, 44b, etc. to present smaller sample portion or portions as the case may be.

All the aforesaid explanations regarding the severance action performed on a presized sample portion from a predetermined, relatively large area of a carpet and like sample carrier 15, 20, 40 culminate in the recognition and appreciation of rendering it easy and comfortable to disjoin and disconnect hand or smaller samples from a relatively large area of a sample carrier, but also of making such action sufficiently complex in order to prevent any flaccid or loose interconnection between a plurality of presized sample portions and to sustain the impression that the entire large surface area of the carpet carrier and like material gives the impression of being unslitted as the fibers near and at the top or outermost surface of said area will always have the tendency to interlace or intermingle with each other without perception of the fine blade slits terminating in or somewhat or partly above the intermediate adhesive or glue layer as herein explained.

In order to impede accidental breakage of presized sample portions or sections from the remaining large sample or pattern area, it is proposed according to the invention to perform the slitting step just short of the adhesive layer or to cause at least partly the adhesive layer while still wet and before it sets to creep into the slits or to increase the contact surface of adjacent sample pieces by applying slits of wavy formations to define individual sample pieces from each other or to employ slits in the carrier material in parallel direction, but in an out-of-alignment position with the perforated or score lines administered to the backing of the sample carrier. It is well understood that still other modes of slit performance and score, perforation or other weakening procedure may be exerted and practiced with respect to the area of the sample carrier on one hand and the backing layer of paper, cardboard and the like on the other hand. It is always to be kept in mind that inconspicuous slitting will not at all disturb or damage to any noticeable degree the entire carpet top surface which, however, offers readily the possibility without the use of any tool to sever one or more smaller sample pieces singly or jointly from the relatively large area of the original textile sample carrier It has been found in practice that the introduction of adhesive substance in and between the carpet sample sections being slit, and the capillary action of said substance penetrating to a certain degree the jute and like fibrous woven layer will contribute to a relatively strong cohesive structure of carpet and like sample carrier or card. Such pretreated composite carrier offers sufficient resistance to flexing and even accidental light bending forces, but admits of readily disjunctive action performed by an operator to attain one or a number of sample carrier sections for his required service and sale.

From the foregoing details it readily ensues that slitting of carpet and other textile swatches pursuant to the invention may not only be carried out in straight (crosswise to the swatch length), but also in criss-cross and like lines to obtain square, rectangular, round and like mini-swatches or swatch sections having any suitable configurations.

While carpet swatches of known constructions bear on their backings or underlay strata each a single product identification label indicating various data of product quality, color, production number, etc., the textile or carpet carrier, card or paper layer forming the backing according to the invention is provided with weakened or scored line configurations, e.g. 18, 18a, 18b (FIG. 2a) which result in mini-swatches each bearing product identification data, trade names, etc. as imprints and like markings within each individual backing space which is defined by the prearranged scored lines, e.g. 18, and/or 18b. Thus each small swatch section 19, 19a, 19b, 190, etc. when separated from the remainder of the respective swatch or larger section of carpet and like material becomes independent and selfdirecting according to its relatively small backing area. Each miniswatch or section carries a complete product identification and other informations mating with those on other or on the remaining swatch sections (FIG. 2a). Thus a more effective and economical swatching or sampling of carpet, textile and like materials is achieved than was heretofore possible.

The aforesaid and other modifications of the invention are covered by the latter in its broadest aspects and the invention is not considered to be limited to the particular embodiments herein shown and described. Departure of any sort may be had without deviating from the principles of this invention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

What is claimed is:

i 1. A multi-layer carpet sample carrier comprising a first layer of paper provided with weakened line formations which are arranged on one face of said first layer in spaced apart relation to each other, a second layer comprising a piece of carpet and like textile material having a fibrous backing layer, a stratum of adhesive binding said second layer through said backing layer to said first layer on the opposite face of the latter, and a plurality of relatively thin slits extending from the surface of said piece of carpet material through said second layer and at least through part of said stratum of adhesive to a location short of said first layer and extending substantially in the same direction as said weakened line formations, a portion of said adhesive stratum reaching into said slits in said backing layer and enhancing the cohesion of fibrous walls defining said slits through said second layer of said carpet material.

2. A carrier according to claim 1, wherein the direction and extent of said slits of said second layer are substantially in alignment with the direction of said weakened line formations of said first layer, said latter formations extending across said first layer from edge to edge of the latter and constituting relatively small sample sections which may be severed from the remainder of said carrier by tearing along; a selected weakened line formation of said first layer.

3. A carrier according to claim 1, wherein said weakened line formations are arranged in staggered relation to corresponding slits passing through said second layer and said stratum.

4. A carrier according to claim. 1, wherein said weakened line formations are out-ofalignment with respect to said slits, some of which assume at least substantially wavy contours.

5. A carrier according to claim 1, wherein said slits are arranged a predetermined distance from each other and assumeeach a conformation outlining increased zig-zag contact surfaces between resultant abutting slitted sample sections, said weakened line formations defining respective sample section areas of which each bears complete identification data of the product on said sample carrier. 

